Pinocchio : Wizard Of The Woods

Cont'd

Continued 

Hangen was thrown back into the dank, grimy prison cell minutes later, filled with old, crazed prisoners. Opposite his cell, he saw Klarithy, her hands bound, glaring at him. He tried to initiate a conversation, but she ignored him, her silence as sharp as her contempt.

Sitting down, Hangen tried to rest, replaying the remainder of the discussion with the king in his mind. He had outright refused the deal initially. It felt like suicide to attempt such a dangerous mission, a slow and meaningless death compared to the swift execution he had been promised. Perhaps Klarithy would find it more bearable, but he doubted it.

Across from him, a man was being overly friendly with Klarithy. Hangen knew where this was headed. "Buddy, you should really stop. Yes, you there," he called out.

The rude man sneered, "Why don't you mind your own business, crabface? I just want to talk to the nice lady here."

Hangen braced for what was to come. "Crabface? Well, I tried."

The man kept advancing towards Klarithy, and out of nowhere, she delivered a nut-cracking kick to his groin, followed by a headbutt. He went down flat as the other prisoners jeered and cheered. Hangen watched her for a long moment, giving a sullen smile before calling the guard back in.

"Tell the king he has a deal, but I have a request to make."

Back in the throne room, the king was perplexed by Hangen's choice. "Are you sure about that, Curser?"

Hangen nodded, glancing towards the window. The lethal height quickly dispelled any fleeting thoughts of escape. "I'm not even certain you are right for the job. She will try to kill you, Curser. Are you sure about it?"

"She goes wherever I go. Let me worry about how I die," Hangen replied.

"Remember our deal. The boy returns safely, or—"

"It will be our heads. Hers on the noose, and mine in a bucket, of course, great king."

The king thought for a moment longer, unsure whether to proceed. Hangen's disappointed look told him everything he needed to know. "I know what you are thinking, but if what you say is true, the boy has to come along. We may not have time for a return trip to fetch the young prince if we survive—when we survive. The boy has to come along. It's the only way."

The king sighed. "It is fine. The queen mother has been briefed, and preparations will be made. However, I have made other arrangements to ensure I can trust you. Cursers are known to be cunning, untrustworthy, selfish, and greedy."

"You forgot to mention handsome and romantic. We also have our own little—"

"Silence!" the king interrupted. "I have hired a band of warriors, mercenaries—"

"You had me there at mercenaries. If you think Cursers are untrustworthy and cunning and those other nice words, then you should think way worse about those guys."

"There are rumors of an impending war. The Elverish forest and its inhabitants have declared their boundaries off-limits to humans. I cannot spare any more. I have made peace with my choices."

"And that's going to be a very big problem. Anyway, let's have it, oh great king. The Dragon Band of Dark Warriors has had a good streak for some time now, or is it the Bounty Sisters or the Killer Family? Anyway, whatever you do, just stay away from the—"

"The Grooks. I have hired the Grooks," the king replied.

Hangen sighed heavily, disappointed at the choice. The king signaled his men, who opened the doors to reveal the Grooks. A rough-looking band of mercenaries, their presence filled the room with an ominous tension.